KARACHI: Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) has devised a special contingency plan to provide treatment to sunstroke patients more effectively.
Talking to PPI, Civil Hospital Karachi Focal Person Dr Abdul Qadir Siddiqui said a special contingency plan had been chalked out in the light of the experience of 2015 heatwave. He informed that paeds, neurology and other non-emergency units had been made functional under the contingency plan, while repairing of faulty air-conditioners and arrangements of extra beds, had already been started.
He said all kind of life-saving medicines were available in the healthcare facility, while sufficient budget was also available to purchase necessary drugs throughout Local Purchase (LP) system in case of heatwave emergency.
Civil Hospital Karachi is one of the biggest tertiary-care hospitals in the province and its administration is ready to deal with any kind of emergency like situation this summer, he said.
Dr Siddiqui informed that under the contingency plan, patients would be divided into three categories: Red (severely ill patients), yellow (serious but not life-threatening), and green (walk-in patients). He said patients of all three categories would be dealt under a proper plan.
He said that two committees, including a medical team and a technical team, had also been formed to monitor treatment facilities as well as technical issues during possible heatwave season. He said the killer heatwave of the year 2015 is still in the memory of Karachiites due to which many precious lives were lost.
No one can fight or stop natural disasters but with proper measures, the loss of lives could be minimised, he said.
The administration is ready for tackling any emergency situation and it has arranged extra beds, wheelchairs, medical staff, medicines and water for heatstroke patients. It will erect shades at an open place for patients’ attendants, he added.
He urged the concerned civic authorities to ensure urgent shifting of the patients affected by heatwave to three major hospitals of Karachi, including Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, and Civil Hospital Karachi, to save precious lives.
A comprehensive awareness campaign was needed to inform masses about the precautionary measures to cope with the heatwave and labourers, elderly people, children and commuters must be given preference in this regard as majority deaths from the previous heat-wave were reported on the city roads, he concluded.
Last year, scorching heat in Karachi resulted in over 1,200 deaths while thousands other were also affected.